Red Hyacinths
by Servile
Summary: Lightning Returns: High school AU Lightning lives in Yusnaan with her sister Serah and is desperately needed to stop the overpowering chaos. Rated M for later chapters. Viewer discretion is advised. I do not own Square Enix or anything related to Final Fantasy XIII: Lightning Returns. All of FF belongs to its rightful owners. This is for entertainment purposes only.
1. Ch I

-Red Hyacinths- Ch. I

Lightning Returns: High school AU

I do not own Square Enix or anything related to Final Fantasy XIII: Lightning Returns. All of FF belongs to its rightful owners. This is for entertainment purposes only.

There were sharp fireworks in the moonlight and lethal sun streaks in the day. The city stampeded during working hours. Men in the tight-fitted suits and women haplessly stuck at home. They watch as their men leave for another languid day. Screeching tires and typical smoke that hung over the bright coherent city broke the silence as the women cleaned the houses. Red sun streaks and hushed children filled the rooms. Laughter from the rooms of the devilish. Amusing the women and creating nine high-pitched screams of the hurt. Thankful hands placed upon a blue suit, businesses roaring and men being succinctly oppressed. Streets being swept by the full brooms, valuables brushed to the side. The city never deadpan or impassive. Bodies rushing to every direction to get work, to find work, to _do_ work. The amber streaks from the sky loosened the collars of men's suits, made shade a valuable place and concrete an inferno. Grumpy bodies of fur find shelter in abandoned structures, licking their paws and rubbing their faces on sharp edges of the little bit of shelter they could find. Obtaining comfort on the shingles of roofs and sleeping for the night. For even cats waited until the night came for the festivities, and when it did come it was a robust and frantic night. The men would come home, shallow and hateful. But the women understood, the day has never been nice to the men and their work before. Attractive but tawdry gowns and shiny rhinestones reflected off the mirrors. Gel, oils, waxes, minerals and alcohol filled the bathrooms like dust. The miscreant children were left alone, their recondite attitudes disabling them from going out. Shaving cream, less hair, heating irons and hairspray made to hide the image of soiled bodies. The night air was damp and chilling. The splatter of laughter and beer filled the city to its core. Flaky women holding onto their men, seemingly forgetful of the personal space needed. The show started and rainbow streaks flew across the sky, outshining the stars. The works of fire popped and sizzled around the city and there was happiness and ease. The night brought about hope for the days coming, a distraction from the chaos that tempted to engulf the city. Yet the men and women laughed on, for the women did not want their men to break. Dainty girls in yellow feathers danced about, encouraged movement from the crowd. The whole city was in motion, yellow and blue, red and green, orange and purple. Seemingly nights like these were joyous for all who endured it. Soiled streets with broken pearls and beer splatters littered the ground and when the grand clock creaked, the festivities were over. The midnight toll brought dread to the citizens as they headed home. The heaps of oil and waxes were taken off. The smiles were drooping and the houses creaked. The furry feline once happy to eat all the greasy goods on the ground once again returned to his napping place, to eat once more tomorrow. The night was over, and the system repeated. There were sharp fireworks in the moonlight and lethal sun streaks in the day. This was the great city of _Yusnaan._


	2. Ch II

-Red hyacinths- Ch. II

Making the cut was easy, but getting _to_ the cut was not the case. Lightning had placed first in all of the scoreboards, her score excelling hundreds of points away from the first loser and yet she still participated even though she had exceeded the responsibilities set. The whole system was child's play to her and by her 7th winning her opponents were getting angry, detesting her abilities and shaming her from their jealously. Fortunately, Lightning couldn't care less. She liked it, a challenging foe was entertaining for her and she wouldn't have it any other way.

At Yusnaan High school, the stakes were always set high and it had the whole school on their toes. Lightning being the exception of course. In the early spring months the school would set up an annual fighting contest. But it wasn't just any kind of fighting contest, it was a contest to see who was the best warrior, held at the Slaughterhouse stadium just east of the high school. The winner would receive a medal of recognition from the school and a scholarship to any training College they wanted to go to. Lightning didn't want to attend college so she would always throw away her prizes, for she had millions of those stupid medals already. This made her rivals even angrier, for they actually wanted to win the prizes and having their enemy not feel gratification for it made their skin crawl. But Lightning was grateful, the medals and scholarships made her efforts not go in vein but when she had no use for them, what could she do? The contest consisted of two categories. The first was the cut. The cut was every soldier and fighter in the school that had enough skill to even participate. If someone couldn't kill a behemoth and tried to enter, they would be denied immediately. A behemoth was the minimal requirement and sometimes students who had passed that rule were still denied due to their yearly conduct and attendance. The second part was the test. The test was the actual fighting and this part appealed to every contestant because the arena changed each year. Getting to see what it looked like was considered a privilege. The few students who did see it every year would boast and brag to the freshman who wished to get in. They were viewed as winners, whether they actually won or not. Lightning saw it every year, how the stadium changed and its pillars shifted. The floors would float and disappear and the seats where the hungry watchers watched would cave in on them self and birth a new. When the time of year came around the students fluttered about saying how they would make the cut this time or how they would win. Lightning would keep to herself and snicker at the comments. Most of the freshman had no idea who she was, and it amused her to no end. For their dreams of winning were still dreams when she entered the stadium.

Ark high was ranked as the most scholastically advanced school in the world. The competition that 'had no label', as rival schools liked to call it, brought attention to the facility and had the eyes of all the colleges. Similarly, most of the colleges in the world favored Ark students, making them the majority of the population in the colleges. Rival schools were furious and pulled all sorts of strings to build up their popularity. Administrators from Lex high in Luxerion even tried to contact competitive students like Lightning and bribe them to go to their school. Lightning definitely did not want to move away from her sister so she always happily declined. This year was the last year and Lightning couldn't wait to graduate and just stay home to protect her sister. Her little sister Serah was the most important thing to her and if anyone tried to hurt her she swore they would pay. Serah's first year in high school had just begun and she was just as smart as Lightning, passing all of her classes with flying colors and excelling in fine arts. The only thing that she didn't excel at was strength. The competition held up a barrier between her and her sister that she couldn't cross. She couldn't get to the same level as Lightning when it came to that. All of her classmates would tell her how cool they thought it was and how they wanted to get in. Serah would just smile and nod, giving an occasional "yeah" to feel accepted in this thirsty desire for triumph. It was brought up one night at the dinner table in the Farron house. Lightning had prepared Skata'ne casserole with Triffid salad. Serah sat down at the opposite end of the table and ate slowly. Lightning could tell that something was up but she didn't say anything, letting the silence sink in until Serah couldn't hold back anymore.

"I'll never be able to get into the cut." Serah whispered, holding her head down. She eye'd her food with timidness and stuck her fork into the casserole.

"Everyone knows how hard it is to even see the arena. I won't even make it past round one."

"Don't say that." Lightning said in a firm tone. "You're just as capable as anyone else."

"No I'm not! I don't even have a weapon!" Serah yelled, slamming her fist down on the table.  
>Lightning was a little shocked from the sudden stammer, but it didn't show on her face. It was true, ever since Mog died after the goddess was killed, Lightning couldn't bring him back. She knew Serah was still distraught over his death, texting Noel to help him bring happy memories of Mog to her. As if she was slowly forgetting their time together. Lightning saved Serah but in return they lost the moogle they once loved. Serah couldn't stare at any moogle without being reminded of her companion.<p>

"Who says we can't buy one?" Lightning asked, taking a sip of her water.

"Even if I have a weapon, I won't be strong enough. I'll never be as strong as you and I hate it! It's only my first week at the school and I'm already living in your shadow. Everyone always asks me if I'm going to be the 'next Lightning' and I hate it. I don't want to be the 'next Lightning' I just want to be Serah!" She screamed, throwing her fork down that she recently picked up and stormed off into her room. The older sister didn't bother to chase after her, staring at the chair across the table. She didn't know how to comfort her sister, the emotions that people had didn't exist in Lightning's eyes. Lightning muffled a sigh and ate the rest of her meal by herself. It was a quiet night at the Farron house after that.

Months had passed during the fall and winter fell short. Spring was approaching and with it brought new life and new beginnings. But it also brought the competition. It was near the weekend and Lightning was humming to herself in her last class. Her teacher was talking but she didn't bother to listen. He was discussing a topic that she had studied the night before, keeping herself ahead of everyone. Her light pink almost cream hair moved swiftly as she rocked her head back and forth, making it apparent that she wasn't listening. Her arms were crossed under her plump chest and her pale-like skin reflected the light from the ceiling because it was so clear. A lot of kids in the school tried to ask her out. She was fierce, responsible and attractive. Hard traits to find in teenagers these days. But Lightning always gave them a simple no, backing it up by saying she wasn't interested in such affairs and had better stuff to deal with. The rejected became depressed and told their friends about the definite no. It had become such a staple answer that if anyone tried to ask Lightning out, classmates would tell them not to due to the massive amount that already tried. But they always disagreed, saying it wouldn't happen to them and that they were the lucky ones. Lightning's teachers even complimented her before on how she looked and she found it kind of weird. She didn't like being the center of attention and definitely didn't ask for it. She was just doing her job as a student and taking care of the only family she had left. The only things she cared about.

It was a week before the contest was supposed to be announced and school was almost out. Lightning was in her last class, closing her eyes and listening to the teacher. His voice droned on as time seemed to slow.

"That is how we make a behemoth steak. Any questions?" The teacher asked, glancing around the room. Culinary class was one of Lightnings guilty pleasures and when she had the time she would cook whatever she wanted. The classroom stunk with damp air that hung over the students. Lightning sat in the back of the class, getting a good view of all the kids.

"Alright then. I want you guys to come to class tomorrow with your own behemoth meat. I don't care how you get it, just bring it for tomorrow and get started as soon as the bell rings so we will have time to cook it." When the teacher finished the bell rang and kids sprung up out of their seat. Lightning watched as the wave of kids exited the room. Except for one student, Hope Estheim. Hope was so ridiculously smart she wondered why he was even in the class. He could probably figure out how to make anything he wanted from simply looking at the finished product.

"You have a question Hope?" The teacher looked away from the chalkboard at the young Silver haired teen.

"Ah yes, uhm Mr. Shinn, what if we are not skilled enough to get some behemoth meat?" Hope slowed his speech and looked down at the tile floor with his green eyes. This sparked Lightnings attention and she slowly walked towards the classroom door, trying to make it seem like she wasn't listening.

"What do you mean Hope? Does your family not have any at home, or can you not kill one out in the wildlands?" When Mr. Shinn spoke the word 'family', Lightning caught a small jolt from Hope. She clicked her tongue quietly, for her situation was probably similar to his. Their parents no longer exist in the world and have passed. But Lightning was still blessed, to have a sister that she would protect at any cost. Unfortunately she didn't know of another kid with the last name 'Estheim' that was enrolled in the school, leaving Hope, hopelessly alone. Hope's face turned red and he slowly rubbed his shoe back and forth on the tile.

"Well, I'm not skilled enough to kill one on my own and, I don't have any at home." Hope was extremely embarrassed to share this. Killing a behemoth was suppose to be straightforward. For Hope it was a complex strategy game that he couldn't grasp his head around. Mr. Shinn caught sight of Lightning slowly walking towards the door and called out to her.

"Hey Lightning, wait!" He said, and Lightning slowly turned around.

"Yes sir?" She replied.

"You know Hope Estheim right?"

"Yes sir I do. He moved here not too long ago, from Palumpolum correct?" Lightning had a keen memory for names of places. You could tell her the name of an ancient recipe and she'll remember it until her own recipes became ancient. Hope's eyes flashed when Lightning spoke of his old home town, and he nodded quickly to her question.

"Good then. Help him kill a behemoth tonight. He says he's having some trouble, and you've won our challenges more than enough times to be victorious against a behemoth." The culinary teacher said with a smile.

"Wait, what challenge?" Hope looked confusingly to the teacher, then back at Lightning. Great. Another baby freshman who didn't even know what the competition was, Lightning thought as she was preparing to explain.

"It's a competition we hold annually at this school. And that lady right there won 7 times in a row. If she win's this year she'll break the record." Mr. Shinn spoke happily, pointing to Lightning

"Wow." Hope muttered under his breath. So not only will I have to be babysat by a Senior, but it's a Senior who knows all there is to know about fighting. Hope thought.

"Wait so who holds the record currently?" Hope asked again, interested in knowing more.

"Caius.. Caius Ballad." Lightning said in a toxic tone. She despised him, hated his guts and was so gloriously happy when he graduated.

"He was a Senior last year. Lightning and him almost destroyed the whole arena during the battle. Lightning came out on top 7 times in a row. " Hope tilted his head at Shinn's words. He was so captivated by this 'competition' that he swore to look it up when he got home. The teacher chuckled a little bit and put his hand on holds small shoulder, snapping Hope out of his daydream of what he thought the competition was like.

"Okay then, now that you two know each other a little bit more I trust that you will help him tonight Lightning." Lightning knew she should have just left. Her curiosity always kills her in the end. She sighed internally and walked up to Hope. Who was now beyond embarrassment.

"You have some trouble killing a behemoth?" She asked, looking at his small frame.

"Y-yes." He replied slowly, looking upwards. He was shorter than Lightning and had difficultly looking up at her fully without blush smothering his face. She wanted to say no, she wanted to just go home and sleep. Then before school the next morning kill a behemoth on the way. But she swallowed her pride and nodded.

"Okay. I'll help you tonight." Lightning put a hand on Hope's shoulder and gave him a firm nod, then she turned on her heels and walked out of the classroom. Mr. Shinn chuckled and pointed to her invisible trail out the doorway.

"You're in good hands Hope. Don't worry." He smiled as Hope exited the classroom. Hope was intrigued but also uncomfortable walking slowly behind Lightning in the hallway.

_Great_, He thought.

_She probably thinks I'm a baby_.

_A/N_:: Hello everyone! This is chapter II of my not-fully-though-of-ratchet Final fantasy XIII story. If you got this far congratulations and thank you! If you have the time please review because I would appreciate it so much. My motivation for writing is dwindling °(ಗдಗ。)°.


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